10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to a Farmers' Market
Overview
Not every Farm chooses to sell at the Farmers’ Markets. However, if that is an avenue you want to utilize for local sales and meet new buyers, it is important to determine which markets will be worth your investment. You cannot simply show up and expect to sell out. There are a myriad of factors to consider, such as the popularity of a certain Farmers’ Market, the consistency of foot traffic, and the accommodations offered to local Farms. Successful Farmers who sell at markets shared 10 questions they ask before starting at a new one:
Have you visited all the surrounding markets in your community?
When choosing a potential market location, it is wise to survey all your options before settling on one spot. You may visit a given market, and believe that it is in a great location and attracts a lot of foot traffic, whereas another has those same benefits and is conveniently located adjacent to your delivery routes. If you only visit a handful of Farmers’ Markets, you may miss out on other great options that would be more profitable for your Farm business. Ensure you are considering all locations within your community (or populated nearby communities). Talk to other vendors, consider market information (booth prices, hours of operation, foot traffic estimates) and visit at different times to determine if a specific market location is worth your time and effort.
2. How many people are selling what you plan to sell?
It is common that other Farms will be selling similar products to you at a Farmers’ Market. However, if the products you sell are heavily concentrated in the market, then you cannot ensure that loyal Buyers will visit other booths, and spread their purchases across other vendors (lower “wallet share”). Make note of the number of booths that offer similar products at a given market and their relative “concentration” in the market layout to gauge if it is worth the time and effort to ‘compete’ for new Buyers. If not, find another market. However, if you believe the Farmers’ Market will be convenient for your existing Buyers, help attract new customers and is positioned well within the community, then consider selling there.
3. Are there other vendors who can give their opinions?
In the Farming industry, it is crucial to stick together with other Farmers for advice, support and opinions. One such way you can utilize other Farmers in your community is asking for their opinion on a certain Farmers’ Market from non-competing vendors (someone not selling your same products). No one will know how worthwhile a market is better than a Farm that has participated and sold at a given market. Ask how well Farmers are supported at the market, if the foot traffic is consistent or how the market fosters community engagement.
4. What resources does the market offer to support local Farmers?
Farmers’ Markets provide support for local Farms by giving them a direct avenue to sell to their community. When determining how a market can support your Farm, ask how they attract the local community and highlight specific locally-owned small businesses. For instance, do they regularly market vendors in online and offline media outlets? Do they maintain a vibrant and active social media presence, highlighting new and existing vendors to keep attendees informed? Do they offer easy and free parking for Buyers to attend? The Market should work with you to help raise awareness of your market participation and attract Buyers.
5. Are the actual costs ($) to participate worth the investment?
Some Farmers’ Markets charge a flat booth fee ($), others charge a percentage (%) of your gross sales, and others may charge a combination of both, or be completely free. Note, the most successful Farms will tell you that anything free is generally not worth your time. The highest performing Farmers’ Markets typically come with some costs and an ongoing commitment (many have a waitlist to participate). In any event, be sure the volume of Buyers and the corresponding sales at a given market justify your time and investment. Be sure to measure your costs and net income at each market to make an informed decision about your ongoing participation at any market.
6. Is a given market more work than it is worth?
You do not simply show up at a Farmers’ Market ready to sell. You have to haul your equipment (tent, tables, signage, freezers) and all your product to the location, set everything up and may have to supply your own power at each market. You must ensure your Farm is making enough profit to justify the labor and set-up costs of going to a certain Farmers’ Market. If the “hassle” of participating at a given market is onerous, you may need to reevaluate the benefits of being there. There may be another Farmers’ Market that will better serve your business, easier to pack-in and pack-out, making the extra time and work worthwhile.
7. Will it be difficult to use your equipment at the market (e.g. freezers)
Consider the layout of a given market when you think about your booth set up (tent, tables, signage, products, and equipment). You want to ensure that you have enough space for any tables, coolers or freezers to hold your products. Every market will slightly vary in how much space they give you to set up, but it can be a determining factor for your Farm if your booth is too crowded to allow Buyers to shop efficiently. Do they offer available power sources to help charge your Smartphones, Tablets and run your freezers? Ask other Farmers to see how accommodating the market manager is to accommodating such requests of their businesses.
8. Does the market attract consistent foot traffic from local Buyers?
Some Farmers Markets will provide estimated numbers of foot traffic for a typical day to Farmers looking to participate. You should ask the manager for numbers to determine if the Market is popular enough to attract new Buyers to your products. If the manager does not have these numbers, consider asking other Farmers who already regularly attend the Market. Some markets, too, cater primarily to Tourists, which may or may not be a good avenue for your products. Tourists typically spend more dollars on value-added and sundry items that are easy to transport. However, local Buyers will spend more money on actual food - proteins, produce and dairy products. In either case, you should not attend a Farmers’ Market without a rough estimate of the amount of daily visitors, or you may waste your time with prep and set up if only a few Buyers show up.
9. Is the market big enough for you to move the most volume?
Farmers’ Markets come in a variety of sizes. You do not necessarily need to be at the biggest Market in your state, but it should be of sufficient size to attract seasoned visitors that will be willing to purchase your products. It is smart to visit the Market and meet current vendors before you set up a booth. Some of the most successful Farmers attend small to mid-sized markets, but may be a sole vendor for a given product. At the same time, larger markets with a high volume of foot traffic can often support multiple vendors with the same products. Get an idea of the layout, the product selection and the foot traffic prior to making a commitment.
10. Is it in a convenient location for local pick-ups and deliveries?
You may find that a market that is close to your Farm gets relatively modest foot traffic, but another one that is an hour away gets better foot traffic, and is en route for deliveries and pick-up locations. To “kill two birds with one stone,” it is wise to analyze the route from your Farm to a given market to see if you can complete other jobs along the way. If a Farmers’ Market is out of the way, but offers good attendance and convenient access to run fulfillments before/after the markets, consider if your profits will outweigh the efforts to do both on the same day (and save time). If you can find a Farmers’ Market that makes fulfillments easy and positively impacts your business, it is a win-win.
Conclusion
A Farmers’ Market may be the ideal place for your Farm to sell to Buyers in person (and convert them to regular online customers). There may be numerous markets surrounding your community, so it is important to determine which one(s) will be beneficial to your business, and which are not worth your investment. Ask these 10 questions before committing to a Farmers’ Market.
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